<![CDATA[Olander CO Embroidery's Substack]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_nXx!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9d2818c0-b40e-4a14-8f0e-3e1582f9b28b_204x204.pngOlander CO Embroidery's Substackhttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.comSubstackThu, 30 Apr 2026 18:21:42 GMT<![CDATA[Spring Pattern Sale!]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/spring-pattern-salehttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/spring-pattern-saleSat, 25 Apr 2026 13:03:27 GMTIs anyone else feeling bogged down with the weight of the world these days? That almost feels like a ridiculous question. How can we not be feeling the weight of the world right now. Personally, the thing getting me the most is the drought we are experiencing here in Colorado. I can’t remember a time when we have gone for so long without rain or snow. None of my tulips bloomed this year and my lilac crop was dismal. It’s been so unseasonably hot that all of the weeds have taken off already, but we haven’t had a good rain that’s made them easy to pull. Gardening in Colorado isn’t for the faint of heart and this year that is especially so. I find myself getting lost in satin stitches while cozying up with a good audiobook not only comforting, but essential right now, and since embroidery is one of those things that is keeping my mental health in check I thought it might help you too. So… please enjoy all of my patterns at a whopping 50% off (this weekend only!) from yours truly <3 No code necessary.

shop individual patterns

shop pattern sets

In the studio…

I’ve been a little quiet on the studio front because I’m stitching up a few custom orders, which reminds me: did you know that I gladly take custom orders? Send me a message if you are interested! Here are a few of my favorite pieces over the years:

a custom “botanical poster” of tree species
Mt. Rainier

A few cool things about my custom order process:

  • They don’t cost any more than my usual pieces. I don’t up-charge for a custom piece

  • You get to choose the size/price to work within your budget.

  • I always send you a photo before you pay to ensure that you are completely happy with it.

  • I can stitch landscapes, plants or trees that are meaningful to you or someone you love.

    custom order request

    Want to support my work but can’t commit to becoming a paid subscriber? Buy me some embroidery floss instead :)

thread fund

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]]><![CDATA[Woven Fields]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/woven-fieldshttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/woven-fieldsThu, 02 Apr 2026 13:15:53 GMTFirst off—I want to say thank you for subscribing to my little, non AI generated, corner of the internet. It is no small thing to welcome me into your inbox when it is so quickly filled with meaningless promotions and notifications. I truly appreciate you. Now without further adieu I would like to introduce you to my brand new series:

Woven Fields

Hand woven pieces of cloth are the anchors for the landscapes in this series. I see the weavings as little epicenters out of which the smaller embroidery floss can flow from. As I look at these pieces I am reminded of a poem from the one and only Mary Oliver:

The Singular and Cheerful Life
 by Mary Oliver (from Evidence) 

The singular and cheerful life
of any flower
in anyone’s garden
or any still unowned field–

if there are any–
catches me
by the heart,
by its color,

by its obedience
to the holiest of laws:
be alive
until you are not.

Ragweed,
pale violet bull thistle,
morning glories curling
through the field corn;

and those princes of everything green—
the grasses
of which there are truly
an uncountable company,

each
on its singular stem
striving
to rise and ripen.

What, in the earth world,
is there not to be amazed by
and to be steadied by
and to cherish?

Oh, my dear heart,
my own dear heart,
full of hesitations,
questions, choice of directions,

look at the world.
Behold the morning glory,
the meanest flower, the ragweed, the thistle.
Look at the grass.


The Thought of Summer Is Enough, 8”
The Light Beneath It All, 11”x14”
An Unowned Field, 11”x14” (read the poem above to see where the title came from)
Boundless, 14”x18”
Shop the new series! 
To access the page, use the password: WOVEN 
Woven Fields
Behind the Scenes
A little look at what went into the creation of these works.
I started with a section that was embroidered and then visualized what I wanted to weave by using the paint tool on my phone
Then… the weaving began!
Next, I laid out the weaving. At this point I was really doubting the whole vision. The weaving looked too disparate from the embroidery. I had no idea if this was going to work. 
Progress! I began “blending” the embroidery with the weaving and it all started coming together. 
Adding details is really when the piece starts to come alive. 
Terrifying to add paint to a pieces I’ve already put hours of work into. Why do I do this to myself?!
Done and happy. 
Help Me Buy More Weaving Supplies
Want to support my work but can’t commit to a paid subscription? You can help fund my newest endeavor (adding weaving to my work) by buying me yarn to weave with.
Buy Me Yarn
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
]]><![CDATA[Notes from the studio]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/notes-from-the-studiohttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/notes-from-the-studioSat, 14 Mar 2026 15:33:32 GMTDear Friend,
Happy (almost) spring. Here in Colorado we have experienced a historically mild, warm winter. As a mom of three I relished in the ability to send my kids out to play everyday, but as I see the tulips and hyacinths start to make their appearance I find myself wondering, “do you have enough water? Will you survive the impending drought?”
Honestly it feels a little like I didn’t “earn” this spring weather (what a strange thought) because we have experienced spring-like weather since December. All year I look forward to flinging open my windows on that first truly warm day in March and feeling the shackles of winter melt away, and this year, I’m afraid that moment won’t come in quite the same way. It’s funny how we need times of scarcity to fully embrace times of plenty isn’t it? But, never fear, I am going to do my best to enjoy this spring to the complete fullest no matter the weather.
On my desk
New series: Woven Fields coming April 2
For years I have been wanting to add weaving to my work. I have actually tried a sort of faux weave look in my embroidery many times over, but was never totally happy with the result. My wonderful neighbor and friend offered to teach me weaving basics. Over the winter, the stars aligned, and I had enough time/energy/bandwidth to set aside an afternoon in her studio. The warps and wefts that have filled my dreams of warps and wefts since this day are proof that I am in love. 
I only know the most basic skills but am already adding it to my work. * The way I’m approaching weaving is exactly the way I approached embroidery when I first learned it: I learned two basic stitches and dove in head first without looking back. Weaving has already challenged me in ways I could’t have imagined which somehow makes me all the more excited to keep learning it. I am planning on releasing a new body of work on April 3 (with early access on April 2 for you, my lovely subscribers), and every piece will have some sort of weaving incorporated into it. 
* if you are a weaver in any capacity, don’t look too closely at my technique or you might be offended. 
In my garden
Fall garden prep is the hill I will die on as a gardener. Every year that we have had the time and ability to prep our garden beds in the fall by laying down compost, coffee grounds, dead plants, chicken manure and covering it with several inches of dead leaves, our garden flourishes the next year. This feels even more important this year as we head into a drought summer. We’ve had hardly any measurable precipitation this winter and, yet, look at this soil buried under leaves!
A little thank you gift for you
I have a large stock of originals in my studio right now and am hoping to free up some space before my next release. Help me out by giving these pieces a forever home. As a little thank you for subscribing to my newsletter here is a 15% off coupon to use on anything in the shop. 
Use code: STUDIOSALE
See the Shop
Buy me weaving supplies
Want to support my work but can’t commit to a paid subscription? You can help fund my newest endeavor by buying me yarn to weave with. 
Yarn Fund
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
 
]]><![CDATA[Pattern Launch Day!]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/pattern-release-dayhttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/pattern-release-dayWed, 18 Feb 2026 14:07:19 GMTWhile I am first and foremost a practicing artist, I get a lot much joy by teaching others everything I know about embroidery. This is why I love creating patterns of plant and tree studies to share with you. When I began embroidering, I focused on learning how to depict natural specimens realistically and found the practice so grounding and meditative that I still rotate between my larger, more complex, landscapes and my smaller, realistic studies. The patterns I have available are these smaller thread painting studies.* The patterns are all available individually, but you can save money by buying the sets of them I have available if you want more than one!
A lot of care and attention goes into each and every component of my patterns. I have had ten patterns available on Etsy for the past year, and now they are all migrating to my own website**, and to celebrate, I’m releasing a brand new pattern: the Weeping Willow.  
Weeping Willows  originated in China and are one of my favorite trees to stitch. They seem intimidating at first because of the layers upon layers of branches, but once I started stitching my first one, I realized that I could create the layers with simple layers of straight stitches. I hope you will enjoy stitching this majestic tree as much as I did. 
*If you are looking for landscape tutorials go buy my book!
**My old patterns will remain on Etsy for the time being, but new ones will be posted only to my personal site.
 
Shop Patterns
About the Patterns
These patterns will teach you how to “paint” or “draw” with thread using basic embroidery stitches and unique techniques and stitches that I’ve created. They are designed for beginners and experienced stitchers alike. Before you begin, I always recommend reading through the “Basic Embroidery Stitches” and “Embroidery 101” guides provided and practicing all of the embroidery stitches on a scrap piece of fabric. This will prepare you to dive into the pattern! If you share images of your work on social media, please tag me so I can share them!

Please note: you will need a computer and printer to print the traceable portion of the pattern at home. The step by step photos are best to view on a computer or tablet. 
Here’s what you can expect to find in each and every pattern:
  • a stitch guide with instructions for the basic embroidery stitches you will need to complete the pattern
  • a color+stitch guide walking you through every floss color and stitch you need and exactly how they are used
  • “Embroidery 101” that gives you all the basics needed to start and finish your embroidery covering everything from how to thread your needle you how to back your embroidery
  • a supply list 
  • 12 pages of complete step-by-step instructions with detailed photos walking you through every step of the process
  • tips and tricks for you along the way
Shop Patterns
Shop Pattern Sets
Originals Available
If you are someone who would rather leave the stitching to me, I have plenty of originals available, including a brand new piece: the Weeping Willow I created for the pattern! 
Shop Originals
Can’t upgrade to a paid subscription but would love to support my work? Feel free to buy me some new embroidery floss or my favorite coffee <3
Buy Me an Iced Latte
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
]]><![CDATA[On Becoming]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/on-becominghttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/on-becomingWed, 11 Feb 2026 23:09:45 GMTExactly ten years ago today, I was 39 weeks pregnant with my first baby. My amniotic fluid dropped to a dangerous level, and we needed to deliver my son immediately. The doctor was willing to let me try to labor. I knew the risks of delivering a breech baby, and once his heart rate started to rise I knew the safest thing for him was a c-section. When it was time, they sat me down on the operating table and had me bend forward. I had to hold completely still while they injected fluid into my spine. Soon my legs got warm and then went completely numb. I had no control, and my brain frantically tried to make sense of the fact that I had no power to move my legs. I waited. I waited and waited. I heard the quiet hum of the doctor and nurses communicating and the beeping of the monitors. The bright lights stared down at me. My baby’s breath. He was here. I’d never met this person before and yet I felt like I’d known him my whole life. All at once what was strange became familiar, and what was familiar became strange—the first glimpse of how my life as an artist would become inextricably entwined with my life as a mother.
When we arrived home, I began to understand that the tectonic plates of my life had forever shifted in many ways, but the biggest surprise was how this new reality altered my creativity. Before my son’s first triumphant breath in the hospital, I had created conceptual drawings and sculptural installations. I was interested in the confluent forces of the natural and the manmade—and the swirling weight of the extraordinary in the ordinary. What had occupied my work were the windows of a flooded, destroyed home hanging from a tree; the constant fire from an oil well’s gas flare in a field where local cows pasture; fracking wells carving huge cracks through the earth’s crust. Now the urgency of ecological disaster couldn’t match the urgency of changing diapers and nursing the baby. Still, I wanted to say something about the beauty and trauma of having major abdominal surgery to birth my baby, so I sat down to make a conceptual drawing about my C-section on a giant sheet of paper. I didn’t have a studio, so I propped an old door on a pair of sawhorses and set to work in the laundry room tacked onto the back of our tiny house. The paper barely fit on the makeshift table. The laundry room was uninsulated and freezing cold. My efforts kept falling flat. I didn’t have the mental energy to continue, so I stashed the drawing away. I reluctantly decided to set aside my studio work for the time being and surrender my idea of what being an artist looked like.
But I found that my hands still needed to make something. I kept thinking about how nice it would be to pick up a craft. Something untied to the art world. Something I didn’t have to think too hard about. Something that my mother’s mother might have done. Enter embroidery. Embroidery fit well into my new life as a mother. I didn’t need a studio and could stitch on my couch, stowing my projects away easily and quickly. I also found incredible comfort in using my hands to create something beautiful just for the sake of creating something beautiful. My embroidery didn’t need to comment on the state of our world. It just needed to be.
In this new season of my life, moments of the everyday and the ordinary had become almost painfully beautiful to me. Embroidery was a practical way to contemplate those ordinary things. Spending hours stitching the shift of colors and textures in the petals of a California poppy or studying the subtle brown of a patch of dead blue grama grass became small, intentional reflections on beauty that were just as meaningful and connected to the bigger questions of ecology and humanity that had always held my interest. In the years since, I’ve had two more babies and much has changed, but I never stopped embroidering. Stitching these subjects is a grounding, meditative process for me, and the practice has integrated into the rhythm of my life and my children’s lives.
In the years before motherhood, I had always searched for a mix of abstraction and realism in my work. One day as my boys were napping, I sat down to stitch as usual. While laying down the stitches of a field, I experimented with abstraction in an unusual way that finally clicked. All my embroidered botanical studies taught me how to create a field that looked realistic, while all the years I’d studied and practiced conceptual art before I had children helped me weave in the abstract. What had started as “just a craft” became my art form. Little did I know that in the simple rhythm of embroidering every day at nap time I would become the artist I thought I’d left behind—the artist I’d always hoped to be to be all those years ago
happiness
the very first embroidery I stitched
From the Studio Desk
I am excited to announce that I will have all of my PDF downloadable patterns and a BRAND NEW pattern available on my website on February 18! The newest pattern is a thread painting pattern of a willow tree. Keep your eyes peeled for an announcement when it becomes available next week. 
Originals now available on my website!
Shop Originals
Can’t upgrade to a paid subscription but would love to support my work? Feel free to buy me some new embroidery floss <3
Leave a Tip
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
]]><![CDATA[New Series Release!]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/new-series-releasehttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/new-series-releaseMon, 02 Feb 2026 14:35:03 GMTFirst off, how are you? Is everyone hanging in there? Last week was a doozy. Between the stomach bug running through my family and watching another video of a fellow American being killed by ICE agents, my cortisol levels were sky high, and today my body is feeling the full effect of that. I don’t do well with division and disagreement (do any of us?). When two sides become more and more divided and hate flourishes, it is nearly impossible for me to find any mental rest. My deepest hope is that we, as humans, are still capable of reaching across the aisle in love and respect in an attempt to find any common ground. I think it is now, more than ever, imperative that we do so. 
I am thankful for things that calm down my nervous system and have needed embroidery like never before these days. If you have yet to try your hand at a craft like embroidery I cannot encourage you enough to do it!! And now, without further adieu, let me introduce to you four new pieces now available in the shop! 
F I E L D   /  S T U D I E S
When I first look at a landscape I focus in on a single element of it. I look to see where there is movement and excitement, and I let the sense of wonder overtake me. What I’ve noticed over the years is that there is usually a grouping of plants in this spaces that pique my interest, and it’s the relationship between those plants, their synchronicity, that draws me in even more. For this series, I focused solely on this little patches of plants and grasses in relationship with one another, studying how they ebb and flow through a landscape. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I have loved stitching them. 
As a subscriber you get early access to this series. 
Use the password: FEBRUARY
Shop
 Life Lately
I love their love
a dear friend is teaching me how to weave (!!!!!!!)
“bird feeders” by my almost 8 year old
sanity
peace
frost
when you’re too sick to get out of bed but still have to homeschool
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

If you want to leave some love (aka help fuel my caffeine and thread addictions) feel free to leave a tip!
buy me a coffee <3
]]><![CDATA[For the love of midwinter]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/for-the-love-of-midwinterhttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/for-the-love-of-midwinterSat, 17 Jan 2026 20:21:51 GMT
Since the beginning of December we’ve been wondering where winter is here in Colorado. In the northern part of the state, where I live, the temperature has been sitting at a comfortable (too comfortable) 50-60°F for the past month and a half. It’s alarming for many reasons. Especially when I see sweet alyssum popping up and blooming three months earlier than usual. All the same, I have loved getting to send my kids outside to play every afternoon. 
Finally, this week, winter arrived. 30° with a wind chill that makes it feel more like 5° (anyone reading this from CO… that wind! am I right?!). Turns out I have forgotten what real cold feels like, and will now be staying indoors for the foreseeable future. Despite the discomfort, am trying to embrace it because the alternative is, honestly, concerning. So with cold hands and feet I am getting back into a groove in the studio after a long, leisurely holiday break.
Field Study Collection Release
February 3 with early access for subscribers!
What are these Field Studies all about you ask? Thanks for asking! ; ) 
I have long been interested in the way that different plants group and relate to one another in a larger landscape. Specifically, I spend a lot of time looking at landscapes planted by the one and only Piet Odoulf and am often inspired by the plant relationships I see in landscapes he has designed. 
I am letting the inspiration run free and am creating a series of abstract landscapes inspired by thinking about these landscapes in small sections or “studies” of a selected grouping of plants. These little vignettes of a landscape then diffuse out into the negative space surrounding them. 
There will be 4-5 new pieces available in my shop on February 3 with early access for all my Substack subscribers on February 2. 
Then vs Now
THEN
NOW
As I was looking back through old photos this week I came across some of the very first embroidered pieces I made ten (yes ten!) years ago, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. They looked, compositionally speaking, exactly like the new work I’ve been stitching. I made several small abstract landscapes way back in 2016-17 and then didn’t feel like it was quite everything needle and thread could accomplish so I switched gears completely and stitched realistic studies of single trees and plants for years. Fast forward to 2020. I started re-incorporating abstraction to some large scale landscapes I was stitching, and now we arrive at today when I am going back to a lot of those older compositions without consciously realizing it. The difference is that now I have a deeper understanding of how to stitch realistic plants. What an incredible full circle moment. 
Other news…
I am also scheming a mid-February pattern release! If you look at the shop page of my website you will find a sneak peak of the (much asked for) tree pattern I’m planning on releasing. Stay tuned for dates and details (and be sure to send me a message if you have a request for a pattern you’d like to see in the coming months).
Spring Field now available in the shop
Also, thank you to each and every one of you who has visited and shopped at my brand new shop on my website. I have plenty of originals left for you to peruse. 
Shop Originals
Have you bought my book? I’d love to hear from you!
Did you know that you can leave Amazon reviews for my book even if you didn’t purchase it through Amazon? This is hugely helpful and I’d be so grateful if you’d leave me a review!
Leave a review <3
Buy me some new embroidery floss 
Can’t pull off a paid subscription but want to support my work? This is really meaningful way to fuel my studio work. 
Thread Fund
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
]]><![CDATA[First Look at My New Shop]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/newest-collection-for-your-eyes-onlyhttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/newest-collection-for-your-eyes-onlyFri, 02 Jan 2026 15:05:30 GMTTied to the Land Collection
I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, and I’m excited to finally bring to you my brand new online store. I worked very hard on the layout and format because I wanted to give you a seamless and beautiful experience when you visit my shop. Before I share it with the general public I am giving you, as a subscriber, first access to my newest collection with the link below and using the password: 2026.
Shop Now
About the collection
Tied to the Land is made up of stitched artwork featured in and inspired by my newly released book The Stitched Landscape. My aim was to create a body of work that cultivates a connection to the land through the tangible art of embroidery by teaching viewers how to find beauty in the starkness of shadows and light in the grasses, the subtle shift of texture of a moss covered rock, or the way that plants dot a field and create movement. 
Shop
Favorite Posts of 2025
A roundup of my most loved posts from last year.
Favorite Moments of 2025
signing more books than I can count
taking my kids to OR
ordinary days
snow days
Favorite Pieces of 2025
Art I Looked at in 2025
Calm Overspill by Shar Coulson. See more of her work here
never not looking at Andrew Wyeth. Title: Flood Plain
GORSE, 2022 
Flashe on canvas, 75cm x 75cm 
SOLD
Gorse by Gianni Notarianni. See more of his work here
Mountains by Oleh Dron. See more of his work here
Thanks for joining me on this journey through making art and living the simple life. I hope your coming year is filled with joy and beauty. 
Give a gift subscription
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Buy me a coffee (or embroidery thread)
Buy Me a Coffee
]]><![CDATA[Winter Bones]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/winter-boneshttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/winter-bonesThu, 11 Dec 2025 14:10:37 GMT“I prefer winter and fall, when you can feel the bone structure in the landscape—the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn’t show”
-Andrew Wyeth
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Winter is when I feel most inspired. The landscape is laid bare and, just as Wyeth so perfectly expresses, the bones of the landscape show through. And of course, death isn’t the end for this landscape. Life lies dormant in the seed heads of every plant and flower, just waiting for spring. So today, I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite winter pieces from the past along with a few updates and things to note going on right now.
Evergreen Tree Thread Paintings Available to Purchase
(These are leaving the shop on December 14!)
For the first time EVER I’m offering made to order tree hoops for the holiday season. These make the most perfect heirloom gifts for the special people in your life or for yourself (because you know you deserve some self love this time of year!). You will be able to choose your tree species and hoop size, and then I will stitch it up and have it to you by December 25. 
Buy a Tree
Tied to the Land Exhibit
Last Friday I had my book release and opening night of my new exhibit “Tied to the Land” at Wolverine Farm Publick House in Fort Collins, CO. The exhibit features all of the work and some of the photos from my new book and will be up through December 28. It was an incredible, special night. I got to see old professors, old friends, new friends, and some folks who I’d never met before. I was blown away and am still smiling. 
I have had a lot of inquiries on whether these pieces are available to those of you who aren’t able to make it to Wolverine Farm in December. My plan is to post any work that doesn’t sell here, on Substack, for purchase once the exhibit comes down, so keep your eyes peeled for an announcement about that in January. 
Photos from the opening (thanks to Betsy Lyon Photography)
In other news…
I had the honor of being interviewed for Colorado’s prominent 5280 Magazine. You can read the article here. 
photo from 5280 Magazine
In my home
Christmas time has come to our little cottage. This is my favorite time of year. We are filled to the brim with cookies, wreaths, and excited children who ask at least three times a day “how many days until Christmas.” 
Have you bought my book? I’d love to hear from you!
Did you know that you can leave Amazon reviews for my book even if you didn’t purchase it through Amazon? This is hugely helpful and I’d be so grateful if you’d leave me a review!
Leave Me a Review
Buy me a coffee (or embroidery thread)
Buy Me a Coffee
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
]]><![CDATA[Buy art! it really makes the best gift]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/buy-art-it-really-makes-the-besthttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/buy-art-it-really-makes-the-bestMon, 24 Nov 2025 14:03:39 GMT
When I walked into Walgreens yesterday to buy medicine for the (yet another round of) sickness that has settled itself into my family I thought, “oh! I should buy the kids’ teacher gifts while I’m in here.” I mean, it’s so convenient, and honestly the holiday section at Walgreens has some pretty cute trinkets. Then I thought about how there are three other Walgreens in our town, and hundreds more across the state of Colorado and I saw the white porcelain reindeer I’d been eyeing multiply exponentially and pictured a sea of thousands of little white reindeer staring at me. In an age of anonymity and social disconnection I suddenly felt the urge to find something that held more meaning to give to my kids’ teachers instead.
So, if you, like me, are tired of buying junk just to check someone off your list, then let me encourage you to buy something handcrafted or make something yourself! And, you know what I’m going to say next… I’ve got you covered! Here are some options I have available right now.
Side note: Lest I get lost in the din of voices telling you to “shop small this holiday season,” I have to tell you that there are plenty of times in my life when I opt for the mass produced porcelain reindeer. I don’t think it does anyone any good to pretend that giving (more expensive or time consuming) gifts gives someone the moral high ground. We are all doing the best we can do in the over-scheduled, overstimulated, over-sugared weeks between now and Christmas. It just so happens, however, that when people shop small and support my little homespun art practice it makes real, tangible humans (me and my family) do a very real jump for joy every single time I make a sale. 
Buy a Work of Art
These are some of my favorite landscape pieces I have available right now!
Drift I
Buy Drift I
Sea of Grass
Buy Sea of Grass
Buy Trod Series
Create a Custom Tree
You choose the size and tree species and I’ll stitch a beautiful little slice of a forest to hang in your home. Here are some of the tree species available.
Buy a Tree
Make Your Own Art
If you’re like me and you see other people’s work and think, “hey I want to make that myself!” then I have good news for you. My shop is brimming with patterns. You will find five different tree species and an array of garden vegetables and flowers. These patterns are for total beginners and master stitchers alike. 
Shop Patterns
See what customers are saying about these patterns:
Get an Entire Book of Patterns!
In case you missed it, I have a new book out (!!!!). It is chock full of landscape patterns and inspiration. You can find it wherever books are sold or order it here. If you have a maker or nature enthusiast in your life, this is the perfect gift. 
Buy My Book
In other News…
Now that I’m done with that shameless bit of self promotion here are some other things I want to share with you!
Tied to the Land: Embroidered Landscapes
Wolverine Publick House, Fort Collins, CO
Opening Reception+Book Launch December 5, 6-9pm
Exhibit runs December 5-28
Join me for a book launch celebration and the opening of this exhibit on December 5 from 6-9pm. There will be food, music, book signings, and art! What fun!
This exhibit runs the entire month of December and features stitched artwork and photographs from The Stitched Landscape. My aim was to create a book that cultivates a connection to the land through the tangible art of embroidery by teaching readers how to find beauty in the starkness of shadows and light in the grasses, the subtle shift of texture of a moss covered rock, or the way that plants dot a field and create movement. In writing the book, I created over 30 stitched landscapes, many of which were based on the photographs taken by Brooke Forwood of fields and plants around Northern Colorado. Come see Forwood’s photographs and my stitched work that explore the often overlooked beauty of the subtle textures and colors of the land from The Stitched Landscape.
**if you live out of state and would like to purchase art from this exhibit, please reach out to me and we will work something out**
Have you bought my book? I’d love to hear from you!
Did you know that you can leave Amazon reviews for my book even if you didn’t purchase it through Amazon? This is hugely helpful and I’d be so grateful if you’d leave me a review!
Leave Me a Review <3
Buy me a coffee or embroidery thread
Buy Me a Coffee
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
]]><![CDATA[When the garden slows down, my studio speeds up]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/when-the-garden-slows-down-my-studiohttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/when-the-garden-slows-down-my-studioSat, 15 Nov 2025 17:14:09 GMTFor the sake of authenticity, I have to tell you, this past week was brutal. Some weeks as a mom I feel like it’s my job to hold it all for my children… the comforting when they are sick, the explaining why our chickens are dead (attacked by a raccoon), the making of plans, the explaining why I am was crying (the  one year anniversary of my father dying), the cancelling of plans, the teaching of math lessons, the structuring of time and schedules and dinners. Sometimes the weight of it all leaves me a bit staggered, and when I go to work in my studio, I end up just staring into space. And yet, I’ve come to embrace the way that the rhythms of motherhood dictate the rhythms of studio work. In my pre-kids existence I was far less productive as an artist because there is something magic in the way that restrictions on me and my time creates just the right kind of space to make work in. So here are all the exciting things coming my way (whether I’m ready or not!!)…
New Work and Upcoming Exhibit
I’ve been working away on some new, and exciting pieces that are in a rectangular format rather than the hoop. Because the hoop exemplifies clearly and instantly the fact that you are looking at embroidered fabric, I had to find a way to still accentuate that these are, indeed, hand stitched pieces. By making the fabric or thread spill out of the frame, I’m hoping to achieve this. 
I’ve also been pushing the bounds of what thread, fabric, and wool can achieve in a composition. Layers upon layers of fabric and stitching create these pieces making them, by far, my most complex work to date. 
All of this new work is inspired by the landscapes in my new book (The Stitched Landscape). Come see these and the rest of the work from the book at Wolverine Publick House during the month of December with and opening reception + Book Launch Party + Book Signing on December 5 from 6-9pm. I hope to see you there!!
Made to Order Trees
For the past 6 years I have released batches of evergreen tree thread paintings in November and December for the holiday season. Because I’m busy preparing for my exhibit that isn’t happening this year so I decided to try something totally new!
For the first time EVER! I’m offering made to order tree hoops for the holiday season. These make the most perfect heirloom gifts for the special people in your life or for yourself (because you know you deserve some self love this time of year!). You will be able to choose your tree species and hoop size, and then I will stitch it up and have it to you by December 25. I only have ten spots available. Once they fill I won’t take on any new orders. These have a 3-4 week turnaround time as they are made to order. Please reach out with any questions you might have!
Order a Tree
Birthday Sale
This weekend is my birthday, and I’m celebrating with my annual sale! 
Take 20% off all originals and patterns in the shop. No code needed. This weekend only. 
Shop the Sale
Life lately… a photographic inventory
the last cosmos
fall is the most beautiful season
Craft night at Bookies Bookstore in Denver. What a joy it was to share my book.
The nicest gift from the nicest friend. I foresee new techniques coming into my work very soon.
Hand, foot, and mouth disease is no joke. This is ONE DAY of medicine cups from three kids who were in so much pain they couldn’t eat or drink.
Another craft night with Twisted Stitch and Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins
before the frost
planting the garlic
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Buy me a coffee or embroidery thread!
Buy me a coffee
]]><![CDATA[Fields and Frames]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/fields-and-frameshttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/fields-and-framesThu, 23 Oct 2025 14:31:24 GMTFor nearly three years now I’ve either been working on large scale commissions (like the one I did for the Denver Children’s Museum) or writing a book (The Stitched Landscape), and while I’ve loved every minute of it, I’ve been craving time just to get back in the studio without any constraints on what I’m creating. I’ve been wanting to push the boundaries of what embroidery can do, and to create more “gallery ready” larger scale work. 
Leaving behind the hoop (just for awhile)
While I’m not leaving the hoop behind permanently, I want to see what happens when my work leaves the hoop and goes into a rectangular format. The thing about this, though, is that I then have to ask “why embroidery?” If I’m going to make it in a rectangular format inside a frame, won’t it just look like a painting? Sure, you will be able to see the dimensionality of the stitching when you look closely, but it’s just not as clear as it usually would be if the piece were inside a hoop. The benefit of the hoop is that the viewer immediately recognizes: fabric + embroidery. 
As an artist, it’s imperative to reflect on why we use the materials we use. What’s the point of stitching something if it is just going to look like a painting in the end? Because of this question, I wanted to make my new piece’s fabric and thread really stand out. I wanted to lean into the fabric and the thread in new ways. As I thought about this, I pondered, “what would happen if the fabric and thread literally spill off the canvas?” The more I thought about that the more excited I got, and then I realized that having a floating frame around the piece was the best way to make it happen. So I carefully sketched, and planned and then set to work. 
the sketch
The inspiration
I have an exhibit in December at Wolverine Farm Publick House in Fort Collins, CO where I’ll be showing all of the pieces I created while writing the book. If you don’t know, I wrote an embroidery book with an in depth look at my artistic process along with a huge amount of tutorials and patterns. My favorite part of the book is the chapter where we we through the seasons in a single field and make an embroidery for each season. All of the new work I am making for the upcoming exhibit is based on the same field we study in the book. My dear friend and photographer extraordinaire Brooke Forwood photographed the field for the book so I have plenty of beautiful images to draw inspiration from. Here is the shot that inspired my most recent piece:
the inspiration
Painting linen
I opted for high quality linen for part of this piece and wanted to lay down a base color with watercolor to add depth to the palette
Laying out the composition (again and again) 
I alternated between stitching and then taking the whole thing out of the hoop to lay it on the board and see how the composition was working. I  did this process over 20 times
Adding elements to the piece after seeing what it looked like laying on the board
Mounting and finishing touches
Getting close! The next step was adding the cows and a few more strands coming off the bottom. 
Mapping out exactly where the thread will lie
And finally…. Open it Wide!
“Open it Wide!”
“Open it Wide!”
About the title:
As I was making this piece I thought about the following Wendell Berry Poem. If you read it, you’ll see why, and you’ll see where I got the title:
Enclosing the field within bounds 
sets it apart from the boundless
of which it was, and is, a part,
and places it within care.
The bounds of the field bind
 the mind to it. A bride
adorned, the field now
wears the green veil of a season’s
abounding. Open the gate!
Open it wide, that time
and hunger may come in.
–Wendell Berry
Upcoming Events
To celebrate the release of The Stitched Landscape, I’m doing several events around Northern Colorado that I would love to invite you to. 
Bookish Crafting Nights (ticketed event)
November 5: Old Firehouse Books (hosted next door at Twisted Stitch), Fort Collins, CO: event info & registration HERE
Join me for an evening of fun and embroidery while I teach you how to embroider your own from one of the projects in the book. Tickets will includes a hardcover copy of The Stitched Landscape and a complete DIY kit with all the supplies needed to embroider one of the projects from the book. There is also a ticket option that doesn’t include the book in case you already have one!
Tied to the Land: Embroidered Landscapes
Wolverine Publick House, Fort Collins, CO
Opening Reception+Book Launch December 5, 6-9pm
Exhibit runs December 5-28
Join me for a book launch celebration and the opening of this exhibit on December 5 from 6-9pm. There will be food, music, book signings, and art! What fun!
This exhibit runs the entire month of December and features stitched artwork and photographs from The Stitched Landscape. My aim was to create a book that cultivates a connection to the land through the tangible art of embroidery by teaching readers how to find beauty in the starkness of shadows and light in the grasses, the subtle shift of texture of a moss covered rock, or the way that plants dot a field and create movement. In writing the book, I created over 30 stitched landscapes, many of which were based on the photographs taken by Brooke Forwood of fields and plants around Northern Colorado. Come see Forwood’s photographs and my stitched work that explore the often overlooked beauty of the subtle textures and colors of the land from The Stitched Landscape.
Originals Available to Purchase
I have several originals waiting to find their home. Here are some of my favorites, but the entire inventory can be found HERE
Drift I
Purchase Drift I
The Trod Series. Available separately or as a set. Discount available if purchased as a set, please contact me for details
Purchase Trod I
Purchase Trod II
Purchase Trod III
The Sea of Grass
Purchase Sea of Grass
Buy me a coffee or embroidery thread
Buy me a coffee
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
]]><![CDATA[My book is out today!!]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/my-book-is-out-todayhttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/my-book-is-out-todayTue, 07 Oct 2025 12:30:15 GMTYou guys, it’s time. October 7, 2025 is finally here, and The Stitched Landscape is now officially out in the world! 
What’s The Stitched Landscape about?
This isn’t your typical embroidery book. While it has plenty of landscape embroidery patterns, it is so much more than a book of patterns. Instead I lead you into my world of art-making, sharing the most intimate details of how I came to where I am now as an artist (and a mother), how I find inspiration, how I came across my own style. I also share in depth how-tos on all of the unusual embroidery techniques that I’ve developed over the years along with the most basic embroidery techniques.
Buy My Book
What’s included?
Here is a little sneak peek at the chapters of the book:
CHAPTER 1: CONNECTING TO THE LAND We begin by learning how to look at the land.
CHAPTER 2: GETTING READY We review what supplies you’ll need and how to set up creative space that is both physical and mental.
CHAPTER 3: ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES I share the fundamental skills of embroidering landscapes, from choosing colors and working with thread, to my favorite stitches and how to finish the hoop for a polished, wall ready work of art.
CHAPTER 4: EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES I share experimental methods for leveling up your landscapes, with unusual materials and techniques that I’ve developed over years of practice.
CHAPTER 5: PRACTICE PROJECTS I give detailed patterns and directions for four projects, which let you practice all the techniques and materials I use in landscape embroidery.
CHAPTER 6: BUILDING BLOCKS OF A LANDSCAPE I’ve developed a collection of over 40 designs for landscape elements—from trees, flowers, and grasses to fields and mountains. You can use these building blocks to stitch original compositions of your own.
CHAPTER 7: BUILDING BLOCK PROJECTS We see the building blocks in action, with patterns and directions for seven landscapes stitched from building-block elements. Stitch them as directed, customize, or browse for inspiration!
CHAPTER 8: COMPOSING ORIGINAL LANDSCAPES I share tips for creating original compositions and wrap up key design considerations.,
Is it available outside of the US?
Yes, my publisher (Storey Publishing) works with distributors worldwide so the book will be available in other countries. If you are looking to order a copy, you should be able to order it through your country’s Amazon, or if you are a retailer looking to purchase copies to resell, please reach out to Storey’s international sales team.
Book Events
To celebrate its release, I’m doing several events around Northern Colorado that I would love to invite you to. There will be more events coming soon, so stay tuned on updates for those in the coming weeks!
Bookish Crafting Nights (ticketed events)
October 15: The Bookies Bookstore, Denver, CO (almost sold out!): event info HERE
November 5: Old Firehouse Books (hosted next door at Twisted Stitch), Fort Collins, CO: event info & registration HERE 
Join me for an evening of fun and embroidery while I teach you how to embroider your own from one of the projects in the book. Tickets will includes a hardcover copy of The Stitched Landscape and a complete DIY kit with all the supplies needed to embroider one of the projects from the book.
Art Exhibit: Tied to the Land: Embroidered Landscapes
Wolverine Farm Publick House, Fort Collins, CO
Opening: December 5, 6-9pm 
This exhibit runs the entire month of December and features stitched artwork and photographs from The Stitched Landscape. My aim was to create a book that cultivates a connection to the land through the tangible art of embroidery by teaching readers how to find beauty in the starkness of shadows and light in the grasses, the subtle shift of texture of a moss covered rock, or the way that plants dot a field and create movement. In writing the book, I created over 30 stitched landscapes, many of which were based on the photographs taken by Brooke Forwood of fields and plants around Northern Colorado. Come see Forwood’s photographs and my stitched work that explore the often overlooked beauty of the subtle textures and colors of the land from The Stitched Landscape.
Spring Landscape from the book that will be available at the exhibit!
Shop Originals
Can’t wait to have a chance to buy an original at December’s exhibit? See what I have available in my Etsy shop right now!
Shop
New Podcast Interview
I had the pleasure of sitting down to chat with Anne Merrow from The Long Thread podcast to chat about the book. From why everyone really can become an embroiderer to how I think dead grass teaches us how to handle grief and suffering, we cover it all! 
Listen to the Podast
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Buy me a coffee or embroidery thread!
Buy me a coffee
]]><![CDATA[The #1 Magic Trick for Flawless Looking Embroidery]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/the-1-magic-trick-for-flawless-lookinghttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/the-1-magic-trick-for-flawless-lookingSun, 07 Sep 2025 22:05:30 GMTI’ve been embroidering for nearly ten years. When I first picked up a needle and thread I felt daunted by the hundreds, even thousands of years of tradition I was holding in my hand. There were (and still are) people who have far more expertise in fabric types, fiber techniques, and embroidery stitches. But it turned out my superpower wasn’t in learning and perfecting these parts of embroidery, but in using my non-traditional, non-perfectionist approach to this craft to make it my own. In doing so I have found many unusual (and super cool!) ways of doing things*, and if I could share just one tip with a fellow embroidery artist that I learned along the way, this would be it. 
*(PS I don’t presume in any way, shape, or form to be the only person who has figured this out, but it is the one thing I truly wish I’d known when I started embroidering)

      

          
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   ]]><![CDATA[Sales and Art Shows]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/sales-and-art-showshttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/sales-and-art-showsSun, 31 Aug 2025 19:08:50 GMT
Pattern Sale
I have as couple of fun things to tell you about today! First, and foremost, I’m having a Labor Day Pattern Sale of all my PDF patterns on Etsy. It’s the perfect time to stock up on all of your cozy fall crafting needs, so please take advantage of these discounts! They are good through Monday. 
Shop Patterns
Upcoming Exhibit
I’m very excited to announce that I’ll have my embroidery in an art show put on by the High Plains Environmental Center in Northern Colorado during their annual Wild Wonderful Weekend from September 12-14. The exhibit is focused on all this botanical and native plants. If you live nearby I would for you too stop by! Here is information on the weekend long event. And here is a calendar of events. I hope to see a few friendly faces there! 
Stay tuned…
As the release of my book (!!!) approaches* I will be announcing a lot more local events surrounding the release. I can’t wait! I have a few crafting nights on the calendar and another art show, so stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks. 
*in case you didn’t know yet, I wrote a book, and it’s coming out on October 7! You can read all about it here
A few changes
I will be taking all of the original art off of my Etsy shop later this week, and transferring them to be available to purchase on my website instead (while my patterns will remain on Etsy). This is a change that I’ve been wanting to make for a long time and finally have the bandwidth to do so. I will also be focusing on showing my work more in galleries in the upcoming year (something I’ve also been wanting to do for awhile now). I stepped away from galleries intentionally when I had my first baby over nine years ago because it felt like too much to juggle with babies and life, but now that my kids are getting older, I’m ready to start showing in person again, and I am very excited. 
So! If you’ve had your eye on something on Etsy, now’s the time to snag it. And here is a coupon code to encourage you to do so! Take 20% off any original in the shop with code: ORIGINAL
Shop Originals
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Buy me a coffee or embroidery thread!
Buy me a coffee
]]><![CDATA[The (only) 7 Supplies You Need to Embroider]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/the-only-7-supplies-you-need-to-embroideryhttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/the-only-7-supplies-you-need-to-embroiderySat, 23 Aug 2025 15:23:47 GMTPerhaps my favorite thing about embroidery (and the reason I’m still stitching nine years after first picking up a needle) is it’s accessibility and simplicity. You can get all of the supplies you need for under $15, and the supplies are easy to store and get out when you have a few free minutes. If you are ready to take the leap and try embroidery for the first time but don’t know quite where to begin, I have great new for you! You only need about seven supplies and I’m here to share those with you today. 
Essential Embroidery Supplies
This list includes the things that I always have on hand and find to be a necessity for stitching. You can get by with these basics, and what’s better is that sometimes keeping to the basics will restrict your work in a way that forces innovation and creativity. It is easy to spend more time gathering supplies and getting everything “just right” before beginning when really you can just dive in and add to your toolbox as you go.

      

          
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   ]]><![CDATA[Pattern Release!]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/pattern-releasehttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/pattern-releaseMon, 18 Aug 2025 14:07:44 GMT
Today I’m sharing with you the final two installments of my summer  pattern series: a beet and rainbow carrot thread painting pattern. If you’ve never tried thread painting before, these two root veggies are the perfect place to start. They are the best way to learn how to make a gradient in color, and when you add texture to them with just a few lines, they come alive: the most gratifying kind of thread painting there is!
What’s Included?
I created these downloadable patterns with beginners and experienced stitchers in mind with varying degrees of project length and complexity. The simplest one (and best place to start if you’re a beginner) is the Beet. The next level up are the Rainbow Carrots. You can purchase these patterns individually or as a set. And! For the first time ever I’m selling a set of all (five!) of my summer patterns including the beet, rainbow carrots, blue flax, cosmos, and Icelandic poppy (this is by far the best deal/discount on my patterns!)
Each pattern includes a:
  • Embroidery Stitch Guide
  • Embroidery 101
  • Painting with Thread Tips
  • Color Guide
  • Supply List
  • Step by Step Instructions with over 60 photos
  • Printable Pattern
Shop Patterns
Life Lately…
I’ve been waiting for you beautiful
it’s a good day when a box from Hachette with your name on it arrives on your doorstep
not the most aesthetic, but it was a happy moment when I made blanched kale (for winter soups), pickled beets, and zucchini bread all from the garden
I offered my boys $1 each if they organized my bookshelves by color. Best dollar I’ve spent in a long time. 
the world’s most adorable toad
more garden bounty
we painted our wall blue, and my dining room is finally the color scheme of my dreams
Preorder my book!
You can preorder my book, The Stitched Landscape. (coming October 7). This isn’t your typical embroidery book. While it has plenty of landscape embroidery patterns, it is so much more than a book of patterns. Instead I lead you into my world of art-making, sharing the most intimate details of how I came to where I am now as an artist (and a mother), how I find inspiration, how I came across my own style. I also share in depth how-tos on all of the unusual embroidery techniques that I’ve developed over the years along with the most basic embroidery techniques.
Preorder
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Buy me a coffee or embroidery thread!
Buy Me a Coffee
]]><![CDATA[Summer Sale]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/summer-salehttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/summer-saleMon, 21 Jul 2025 13:12:50 GMT
For the first time in a long time I have more work on my hands than I know what to do with. I’m dying to start on some new projects, but I need to free up some space. So! let’s have a little sale shall we? Everything in the shop is 20% off (both original pieces and PDF patterns). No code is needed… the discount will be automatically applied in checkout. 
shop
A few of the originals I have available:
Drift I and II
Sea of Grass
Papaver
Flower Series
A photo journal of my summer so far…
If you’ve been here for awhile, you know my favorite way to show you what life is like behind the scenes is with a visual inventory of where I’ve seen beauty over the past month or so. 
the bursting garden
I grew these!
kale seed magic
ocean magic
exploring the seashore
no caption needed
maybe my favorite shot of all time
my favorite person/my favorite place
our “we like to pretend we live in Europe” corner
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Buy me a coffee or embroidery thread!
Buy Me a Coffee
]]><![CDATA[Summer Pattern Release]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/summer-pattern-releasehttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/summer-pattern-releaseWed, 02 Jul 2025 14:31:19 GMT
Summer is in full swing in my little home: popsicles on the front steps, dinners on the patio, bug bites, cool mornings in the garden, hot afternoons in the studio, thunderstorms rolling in every day around 3pm. With a break from homeschooling, I get a little more time to spend in the studio, and this summer I’m using that time to create garden pattern series. The first up is a series of three different flowers growing around my house: cosmos, blue flax, and poppies. 
About the patterns
These are “thread painting” patterns which means they teach you the basics of thread painting to create your flowers. They are inspired by the style of botanical illustration and include the label of the plant you are stitching. I created them with beginners and experienced stitchers in mind with varying degrees of project length and complexity. The simplest one (and best place to start if you’re a beginner) is the Blue Flax. The next level up is the Cosmos, and the most complex piece is the Icelandic Poppy. You can purchase these patterns individually or as a set.
Each pattern includes a:
  • Stitch Guide
  • Embroidery 101 
  • Painting with Thread Tips
  • Color and Stitch Guide
  • Supply List
  • Step by Step Instructions
  • Printable Pattern
Buy Patterns
I am so excited to see you stitching these flowers over the summer months! They are perfect to bring on long car rides or a day at the sea. If you are a paid subscriber, make sure to share your works in progress in our Stitch Club Chat!
Originals Available 
If stitching isn’t your thing, you can buy the originals that the patterns are based on! I have a lot of special pieces available right now in the shop; from landscape pieces to flowers and trees. I rarely have these many works available!  
Shop Originals
A visual inventory of summer…
Preorder my book!
You can preorder my book, The Stitched Landscape. (coming October 7). This isn’t your typical embroidery book. While it has plenty of landscape embroidery patterns, it is so much more than a book of patterns. Instead I lead you into my world of art-making, sharing the most intimate details of how I came to where I am now as an artist (and a mother), how I find inspiration, how I came across my own style. I also share in depth how-tos on all of the unusual embroidery techniques that I’ve developed over the years along with the most basic embroidery techniques.
Preorder
Olander CO Embroidery's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Buy me a coffee or embroidery thread!
Buy Me a Coffee
]]><![CDATA[Thread Painting Tutorial]]>https://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/thread-painting-tutorialhttps://olandercoembroidery.substack.com/p/thread-painting-tutorialTue, 24 Jun 2025 13:54:14 GMTThread painting is quite possibly the most meditative art form I’ve ever come across. Little else in life is as soothing as the zone I get into as I’m choosing a range of colors to blend together to create a realistic depiction of a subject. My subjects have always been plants, flowers, birds or trees, but my hope is that, with this post, I can give you tips and tricks that you can apply to any thread painting subject. I’m also sharing a complete PDF thread painting pattern so that you can take everything I talk about in this post and immediately use it in your very own work of art. 
So what exactly is thread painting?
Thread painting is exactly what it sounds like. It is the art of using thread as a painter would use paint. So how does that work? To create a realistic painting, the painter begins with color mixing to come up with a full range of value to use in their piece in order to blend colors together and achieve a realistic look. As an embroiderer, you will choose those colors from whatever thread supplier you use (I typically use DMC Embroidery Floss as it has a huge range of colors) and use them to gradually fade from one color to another. For me, that means I like to buy a range of colors and then pull from those as I work. 
My top techniques + tips
It’s all about the color choice

      

          
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